Chapter 14

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

It was another week before Scott finally learned about his college application. His post office box at Meritt's Corner contained a very thick packet from Midland College. Scott put it into his backpack without opening it. Outside in the parking lot he stared wistfully at Mendoza's Engine Center. Saying goodbye to all the men that he'd worked with over the last year had been more difficult than he'd imagined. They had wished him the best, and seemed genuinely happy for him.

At Mr. Piotrowski's house he set the packet on the kitchen table. A note said that Mr. Piotrowski had taken Jobe for a walk. His elderly friend seemed to have more pep a result of the new blood pressure medication. Scott changed into his work clothes. There were spring weeds growing all over the property. He started along the long driveway and worked his way out to the road. After he had been working for a while Jobe trotted up and sniffed around where Scott had been digging.

"Why aren't you using the weed eater?" called Mr. Piotrowski.

Scott paused and leaned against the hoe, "It would be faster, but it wouldn't get the roots. At least these weeds won't grow back."

"I suppose. It's your back," Mr. Piotrowski said as he headed back up to the house.

Scott flexed his fingers. His leather work gloves were a tight fit now and had developed some holes. He needed to buy a new pair. Jobe supervised the weeding until he got bored. Scott needed a shower when he finally finished. Walking into the kitchen he was surprised to see Mr. Piotrowski hovering over the stove.

"Chili," Mr. Piotrowski explained.

"Smells good," Scott replied. "I'm going to get cleaned up."

Refreshed after the shower Scott sat down at the kitchen table. Mr. Piotrowski handed him a bowl of steaming hot chili.

"That's got some kick to it," he said as he went back for another mouthful.

"Too much?"

"No, it's good. Just more bite than I expected."

"Want to tell me why you haven't opened that packet from the college?" asked Mr. Piotrowski.

Scott set his spoon down and looked at the large envelope, "Not sure. I don't think they'd send a rejection letter in a big thing like that."

"So open it."

Scott picked it up and tore it open. He slid the material out on the table. On top was a letter. He read it quickly and passed it over to Mr. Piotrowski.

"Congratulations, you're a college student. What else did they send you?"

He took a quick inventory, "Student handbook, a course catalog, and a bunch of pamphlets. They even sent a map of the campus up in Midland."

"Nothing about the extension campus in Fort Stockton?" Mr. Piotrowski asked.

"One of these pamphlets has some information about it, but it's housed in the technical training center right behind the high school. How much mystery can there be?"

"True enough. What do you have to do now?"

Scott looked up from the student handbook he was flipping through, "I have to see about testing out of College Algebra. Register for classes. Write a check or two."

"Can you do the testing in town?"

"I think so."

He ate some more chili. His 'to do' list was quickly filling up.

"That was really good," he told Mr. Piotrowski when he reached the bottom of the bowl.

"The leftovers will be even better tomorrow. What are you going to do about school next year?"

There was no beating around the bush with Mr. Piotrowski. "I don't know. I can't do the concurrent enrollment deal until I'm a junior. Principal Reynolds did say there was some 'wiggle room' whatever that means."

"I suspect what he means is that it's a guideline, as opposed to something written in stone. You need to sit down and get it figured out," Mr. Piotrowski said.

"You're right. I'll try to see Principal Reynolds."

Scott got up and started clearing the table. Mr. Piotrowski was right, he thought. He did need to get his schedule figured out. Things were getting complicated. Another issue was the motorcycle. He was going to put a lot of miles on it this summer, and even more in the fall. If he didn't get serious about maintenance it could come back to bite him in the ass. What would he do if he had a major mechanical breakdown?

Mr. Piotrowski interrupted his train of thought, "You ready for the camping trip?"

"You bet, and I can't wait."

After a lot of debate the guys decided that it would be easiest to go camping on the land behind Mr. Piotrowski's house. That way they avoided any transportation issues to a remote location. Mr. Piotrowski had offered to let Scott drive the truck so he could bring Bo and Eddie out to the house after school on Friday. Originally they'd planned to ride the bus out to Meritt's Corner, but realized their camping gear contained a lot of items they weren't allowed to bring onto school grounds.

The next morning before class, Scott ran by the front office to arrange an appointment with Principal Reynolds. The school secretary looked through her book.

"Monday during afternoon study period is the earliest I can get you in," the secretary told him.

"That would be great, thanks."

During lunch Scott reminded Bo and Eddie to have their gear packed and ready to go Friday afternoon. The girls had their own plans for the weekend which involved makeovers and other mysterious rituals. By the time Friday afternoon finally rolled around, Scott was more than ready to leave civilization behind for a few days.

Bo's family lived close to the school so he walked home to get his gear. Scott drove Eddie to his house with hopes of retrieving his backpack without too much delay, but Mrs. Mendoza had other ideas.

"Where are you going, exactly?" she wanted to know.

"Mom, we're leaving from Mr. Piotrowski's house," Eddie said.

Scott had prepared for something like this, and unfolded a sheet of paper he'd photocopied in the library. "This is a map of the area," he said. "It shows the general route we'll be taking. I've circled a couple of potential camping areas. It all depends on what we find while we're out there."

Mrs. Mendoza looked at the map, and back up at Scott, "I suppose you know what you're doing?"

"Mom," Eddie groaned. "He's hiked and camped all over the area. We'll be fine."

Scott shrugged, "I do know the area, and Bo's an experienced camper. We'll keep a close eye on Eddie."

Eddie frowned, but kept his mouth shut.

"You can always call Mr. Piotrowski if you have any concerns," Scott reassured her.

"I want you boys to be careful. Look, I made you some trail mix. Are you sure you'll have enough food?"

Scott examined the three zip lock baggies of homemade trail mix she had produced. "These will be great, thanks. Don't worry. We'll have plenty of food between the three of us."

Eddie was eager to leave, and hustled Scott out of the house.

"Did you go over your check list?" Scott asked as he examined Eddie's backpack.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get going to before she thinks of something else." Eddie was still complaining about his mother, "Sometimes I envy you. Nobody to nag at you."

Scott turned and stared at him.

"You know what I mean," Eddie said in apology.

Bo was waiting for them when they pulled up outside his house. Bo threw his backpack into the truck bed and climbed into the back seat.

"Road trip!" he exclaimed as Scott backed out of the driveway.

"Eddie's mom made us some trail mix," Scott told him.

"Hey that's great. Eddie, your mom is the best," Bo said.

Scott tried not to laugh as Eddie grumbled.

It was a quick trip out of town for the three friends.

"Do we need any last minute supplies?" Scott asked as they got close to Meritt's Corner. "I need to check my mail, and you guys could hit the store. Eddie, we can stop and see your dad if you want?"

"I'm good, but let's get some milkshakes," Eddie said.

"Now that's a great idea," Bo chimed in.

Scott checked the fuel gauges as they pulled in past the gas station. The truck still had plenty of fuel. He dug out some cash and handed it to Eddie, "Grab me two chocolate milk shakes will ya?"

The only thing in his mail box was a letter from his insurance company. He got over to the diner in time to help the guys carry the milkshakes out to the truck. Scott tore open the letter while Bo and Eddie slurped their frozen treats.

"What's that?" asked Bo.

"Insurance company wants to sell me home and life insurance," Scott said as he put the letter back in the envelope. "Makes me feel real confident that my insurance company thinks I might own a house."

Jobe was super excited when the three guys got out of the truck. He knew something was up. Mr. Piotrowski was very pleased with the milkshake.

Scott looked at his watch, "We better get moving. My gear's upstairs."

The guys followed him up to the small bedroom. Eddie spotted a picture on the small side table and showed it to Bo.

"Are these the girls from Chicago?" Eddie asked.

Scott retrieved his backpack and hiking boots, "Yeah, that's them."

Bo whistled, "Nice."

"Why don't you sleep here?" Eddie asked looking around the room. "You've got clothes and everything else that you'd need."

"I've thought about it. The Rewcastles would eventually notice. Who knows what would happen then."

"It's a stupid arrangement," Bo said.

"No argument from me," Scott answered.

They trooped downstairs, and Scott took some food from the refrigerator. "I thought we could split these eggs up between us."

"Good idea," said Bo.

Outside the kitchen door they set their backpacks down and did a quick inventory. Scott handed each of the guys a color copy of the topography map he was using.

"I don't have a compass," Eddie said.

"You can borrow mine," Bo replied. "Check this out guys."

Bo's dad had let him borrow a handheld GPS unit. The boys admired it.

Mr. Piotrowski was standing on the back steps watching them, "Scott, are you taking your cell phone?"

"I hadn't planned to."

"Why don't you grab it? You never know when it might come in handy."

Scott ran inside and retrieved the cell phone. "Do you think it will even get a signal?" he asked as he ran back past Mr. Piotrowski.

"You're not going that far off the beaten path," Mr. Piotrowski said as he finished the remainder of his milkshake.

Jobe was busily sniffing each backpack, and bumping into Bo and Eddie enthusiastically.

"I think Jobe is more excited about this camping trip than we are," Scott said as he checked that everything was packed correctly.

"Jobe's coming?" Eddie asked.

"You bet. He's a good scout."

"Cool."

Scott shouldered his backpack, and helped Eddie tighten his straps. He tugged on Eddie's backpack a few times, "How's that feel?"

"Feels good."

"Bo, you ready?" Scott asked.

"Let's do this," he replied.

"Almost forgot," Scott said as he went over to the storage building. "Walking stick," he explained to Eddie as he handed out the two extra sticks he'd collected in addition to his own.

They waved to Mr. Piotrowski as they set off. Jobe barked excitedly and ran around them. They had planned their route as a large triangle made up of Mr. Piotrowski's house, the first night's camping spot, and then a long hike Saturday to their final camping spot. They'd make the return leg on Sunday.

They had a leisurely two hour hike to the first camp site. Scott and Bo took turns showing Eddie how they knew where they were on the map. Scott would show him the map and take a compass reading. Bo would then show him the display on the GPS unit.

"This is a good spot," Bo said when they arrived at their campsite. It was the campsite that Scott had first used last October.

Scott pointed to his old fire pit still ringed with rocks, "We can dig that out and use it again."

Eddie was standing uncomfortably as Bo and Scott started setting out the tents. Bo and Eddie would be in the larger tent, while Scott and Jobe shared his as usual.

"Hey guys. Where can I ... uh, you know?" Eddie stammered.

Bo and Scott exchanged smiles. Scott took the shovel from his pack and unfolded it, "Here you go. Head out about two hundred feet that way and dig a hole."

Eddie looked at the shovel, "How about ... you know ... some toilet paper?"

"You didn't bring any?"

Bo tossed him a roll, "Be sure to dig down a good bit, and fill the hole in afterwards."

Scott helped Bo setup his tent and drive the stakes in, and Bo returned the favor. Eddie came back a short time later.

"That's more adventure than I think I needed," he announced.

Bo was the first to start laughing. Scott joined in until all three were laughing uncontrollably.

"It's not really that funny," Bo said as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

That started them off again.

"I'm glad we did this," Bo said.

There was quick agreement.

"Let's get some firewood gathered," Scott suggested.

They cooked hotdogs over the fire, and enjoyed a simple dinner. Jobe snapped up a couple of frankfurters tossed his way. They were all a soft touch where the dog was concerned. Bo brought out a bag of marshmallows. They enjoyed the gooey concoctions toasted over the flames.

Eddie interrupted the after dinner conversation, "Guys, can I ask you a favor?"

Bo glanced at Scott, "Sure?"

"Do you think that you could start calling me 'Ed' instead of Eddie?"

"It's going to take some getting used to, but sure ... Ed," Scott replied. "Have you told your mom?"

Ed sighed, "I've tried to bring it up several times. Somehow I don't think she'll ever call me anything else."

"She was good about your sister not wanting to be called 'Janice' anymore," Scott reminded him.

"That's true."

Bo tried 'Ed' out several times trying to get used to it. They made a game of it, "Ed this..." and "Ed that..."

As the sky turned darker they piled up the wood and got a larger fire going. The three friends talked and joked until the fire finally died down sometime after midnight.

"We better hit the rack. It's going to be a long day tomorrow," Scott suggested.

"We should do things like this more often," Bo said.

Scott and Ed were quick to agree.

The next morning Scott quietly let Jobe out of the tent. It was cool, but not cold. He could tell that Bo and Eddie were still sleeping. 'Ed, ' he corrected himself mentally.

He got the fire going and started heating some precooked sausage patties that were a good camping staple. Bo was the first to emerge from the other tent.

"That smells good," he said as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He turned around slapped at Ed's sleeping bag, "Get up sleepy head!"

Ed rolled out of the tent looking grumpy. He looked around until he spotted the shovel. He grabbed it and headed out toward their makeshift toilet area.

Breakfast was sausage patties, a can of hot biscuits, and scrambled eggs. Jobe got his normal dry food along with a biscuit tossed to him by Bo.

"What's the plan for today?" asked Ed. "Think we'll find any arrowheads?"

Scott replied, "I hope so. You never know though. Mr. Piotrowski says it's just a matter of luck."

The boys got the campsite cleaned up and their gear repacked. Scott showed them where he found his arrowhead down in the old creek bed, but they didn't find any others. Eventually they headed off toward their evening campsite.

They spotted a low hill in the distance and decided it would be where they would break for lunch. Bo explained to Ed that having a visual objective helped you walk in a straight line. Otherwise you could easily get lost, and not even know you were walking in circles.

"But we've got the GPS, and the compass."

"True, but what if we lost the compass, or the battery ran out on the GPS unit?" Bo explained. "These basic skills could save you."

Scott agreed. Unmentioned was the map in his head. The information was there, but he rarely needed to consult it. He had come to realize that the projections were a crutch. If the information was in his mind then he didn't really need a visual representation of it. Still, it was a nice touch at times.

The boys munched on Mrs. Mendoza's trail mix as they hiked. The conversation covered a wide variety of topics. Ed talked about his hopes for the Mendoza companies, and his eventual place working with his father. Bo confided that he didn't think he and Rene would date much longer. He still wanted to be friends, but the boyfriend-girlfriend relationship wasn't working out. Scott told them what he could about the job with the outfitters and his plans for the summer.

When they reached the hill they were ready for a break. Ed distributed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches his mother had made. Scott cut up a couple of apples he had been saving, and Bo had a bag of pretzels to share. Jobe got some dried dog food and fresh water. The boys ate quietly and watched Jobe sniffing around.

"Maybe he's part bloodhound?" Bo said.

The dog started digging at something near where Ed was sitting.

"Jobe found some arrowheads!" Ed exclaimed when he leaned over to inspect what Jobe had been after.

They all got up to take a look. There were three very nice notched arrowheads all about the same size. There were four smaller ones that Bo said were used for hunting birds, and one very large flint of an unusual shape. They searched around but found no other identifiable artifacts.

Scott had Bo put the arrowheads down on a flat rock. He took his canteen and poured some water over them.

"Look at that," Ed said as the water made the colors of the flint pop.

They examined the larger flint passing it back and forth.

"It has to be a spear point, don't you think?" Bo asked. "Maybe seven inches?" he guessed as he laid it out on his palm.

"I'd say that's about right," Ed said examining the spear point with his fingers.

"Measure it with the side of the compass," Scott offered as he was digging through his backpack. He brought out a roll of paracord he kept as part of his supplies. He measured out three lengths, and cut them with his knife. He carefully tied a length of cord around each of the three identical arrowheads, and offered them to the guys.

"What do you think?" he said as he put an arrowhead around his neck.

"It's terrific," Bo said looking his impromptu necklace.

Ed agreed as he put on his, "What do you think we should do with the big one? Sell it?"

"Maybe give it to the Fort Stockton Museum?" Bo said.

"I'll go with whatever you guys want," Scott decided. "Mr. Piotrowski would know what we could get for it I'll bet, but I like the museum idea."

Jobe got a lot of attention and praise for his find. He luxuriated in the scratching and kept bumping them with his head demanding more. The group was in a great mood as they set off for their final campsite.

By late afternoon some large thunderheads had built up to their west. Bo looked at them and announced that they had better find a higher campsite. Scott agreed and examined the topographical map.

"There's a good site about a half hour ... that way," he pointed.

Bo checked the map and agreed.

"Why do we want to get higher?" asked Ed.

"In case it rains," Scott explained. Ed's blank look prompted him to add, "Flash floods."

"Oh!" Ed said as he caught on. "Do you think there's a chance?"

There had been some bad incidents in the past with flash flooding.

"Better safe than sorry," Bo said sagely.

They walked along the low banks following the path of the ancient creek bed until they found the high point depicted on the topographical map. It was a bluff backed by the creek bed. Bo and Scott paid extra attention to assembling the tents at the highest point they could camp at, but not too close the edge of the bluff. They made sure that the tent stakes were firmly secured in the dry ground. Scott rigged the extra rain cover over his tent.

They ate dinner watching the weather move in from the west. As the sun reached the horizon the clouds were lit up in shades of yellow and red that contrasted with the ominous darkness of the thunderheads. It was an impressive display by Mother Nature. Flashes of lightning lit the up the sky and they counted the seconds between the flash and the thunder. Ozone laden air blew in as the temperature dropped ahead of the storm. Jobe expressed the group's nervousness as he went and hid inside Scott's tent.

Scott dug a couple of quick, shallow trenches around both tents leading downhill from where they'd camped. "Might keep some of the water away," he told Bo.

"Don't think we'll get much sleep tonight," Bo said as he rechecked the tent tie downs. They retired to their respective tents and watched the weather.

Scott was stretched out atop his sleeping bag listening to the wind whistle as the rain drops started to drum against the sides of the tent. A nearby bolt of lightning lit up their tents, and he heard Ed exclaim, "Holy..." only for the rest to be drowned out by the loudest crash of thunder he'd ever heard.

"Shit," Bo shouted in the aftermath.

Scott called back, "That was too damn close."

Jobe whimpered from his blanket. Scott reached over and patted the dog's head reassuringly. The rain was really coming down now.

"Oh for Pete's sake!" somebody in the other tent cried out.

"What?" Scott yelled.

Bo called back, "Our damn tent's leaking!"

"What?"

"Rain is coming right through the fabric."

Was it possible that their tent wasn't rain proof? Scott looked around. It would be a tight fit. "Grab your gear. It won't be comfortable in my tent, but at least you'll be dry," he yelled.

He dragged Jobe's bedding between his sleeping bag and the side of the tent. Jobe put his paws over his head. Scott turned on the battery powered LED camping light and hung it from the tent's center support pole. He unzipped the tent front just in time for Ed to dash in followed by Bo, each carrying their gear.

They stacked the backpacks on the far end of the tent and tried to arrange their sleeping bags so they could all stretch out. The lightning continued to flash on and off like a strobe, and the wind and rain battered the tent sides.

"There's no way I can sleep when it's like this," Ed said.

"I've got a pack of cards," Bo announced.

"I've got some beef jerky," Scott said reaching for his backpack as Bo dug out the deck of cards.

"What do we use for chips?" asked Ed.

"Your mom's trail mix," Bo suggested as he turned on his own portable camping light. "Just don't eat your profits."

The three friends sat Indian style and attempted to play poker as the wind shook the small tent. Scott folded a weak pair of twos when they heard a deep rumble and 'whoosh' of air followed by the unmistakable sound of rushing water. The sound was frightening as the boys looked at each other.

"I better take a look," Scott announced.

"Be careful!" both Bo and Ed demanded.

"I not leaving the tent," Scott said as he grabbed his powerful flashlight. He stood on his knees and carefully unzipped the front flap sticking the flashlight out. He took a quick look, and turned off the flashlight. His enhanced vision showed him what he was afraid of, and he quickly zipped the tent back up.

"I think the creek bed behind us is full of floodwater, and the trail across the slope below us is overrun. We're surrounded, but ... I don't think it can get up this high, I think we're okay."

He handed the flashlight to Bo, who took his own look. Bo sat back down, "I couldn't see much but I think you're right."

The storm finally tapered off about an hour later. The rush of water continued, and the boys got little sleep. The next morning they emerged from the tent and surveyed the damage. The water down slope was receding, but an angry and swollen creek was at their back below the bluff.

"Stay close," Scott instructed Jobe. "Firewood's soaked. It'll be a cold breakfast."

The guys nodded as they looked around.

"How long before the water recedes do you think?" asked Ed.

Scott shrugged, "You can see the high water mark. It's already fallen by a good bit."

"Hey, what about your phone? Do you have a signal?" Bo wondered.

"Good question," he said as he ducked back into the tent to grab the phone. He walked out of the tent and held the phone up, no bars. He concentrated as he held the phone. The signal meter went up to two bars. It should be enough. He dialed Mr. Piotrowski's house.

"Scott, is that you?" Mr. Piotrowski demanded. "I've got some very worried parents here."

"Tell them we're okay. We camped on a bluff top last night."

"Thank, God," he heard as Mr. Piotrowski passed the word on.

Scott covered the phone and told the guys their parents were at Mr. Piotrowski's.

"We're going to be stuck here for a while until the water recedes," he informed Mr. Piotrowski.

"Where are you exactly?"

"You've got the topo map handy?" Scott asked.

"Right in front of me."

"Okay, we're about two miles, west southwest of where we'd originally planned to camp. Can you see that elevated area? We're right by the height marker where the creek bed bends."

"I've got you. Should we get the county to try and send somebody out for you?"

Scott told the guys, "He wants to know if we need somebody to come rescue us? What do you think?"

"The water's going down pretty quickly," Bo said.

"I think we'll wait it out. The water's going down. We should have a straight shot to the house here in a couple of hours," he told Mr. Piotrowski.

He could hear the parents discussing it over in the background.

"Okay, but if you run into anything else you let us know? Be careful."

"Yes, sir. We'll be okay. How about having some hot food ready for us?"

"They must be okay. They're asking for hot food," Mr. Piotrowski told the assembled parents. "Okay, we'll be looking for you this afternoon."

The guys took down Scott's tent, and then tried their best to wring out the water from Bo's soaked tent. The remaining flood water looked shallow in front of them. Scott walked down to the water's edge and felt around with his walking stick.

"It's only a couple of feet deep," he announced. "Let's look for a place to cross. I don't want to hike back with wet boots."

They were a muddy and tired group when they reached the edge of Mr. Piotrowski's property around three that afternoon. They'd had to take one extensive detour after finding a new channel which had been cut into the desert floor by the flood water. Jobe took off at high speed toward the house. Scott could faintly hear Mr. Piotrowski yelling that the dog wasn't coming inside until he'd had a bath.

Bo and Ed were rushed by their parents as the tired campers made the turn around the end of the storage building. Mr. Piotrowski was standing on the back steps, drinking a cup of coffee.

Scott got a kiss from Bo Mason's mother, and a long hug from Mrs. Mendoza. The ladies quickly took charge.

"There are two showers, and we've got dry clothes for each of you," Mrs. Mendoza said as the mothers pushed their boys inside.

"Awe, mom!" Scott heard Ed complain as he was shoved toward the upstairs shower.

Scott shrugged out of his backpack and loosened the laces on his hiking boots.

"So how was it?" asked Mr. Piotrowski.

"It was great right up until it started raining," Scott replied. "I better get my stuff hung up to dry. Are we expecting any more rain?" he asked.

"The weather guesser says that should be all of it," Mr. Piotrowski said.

Scott went out to the storage building and strung up a couple of lines. He hung up the tent, the rain cover, and his sleeping bag on the lines. He dragged the galvanized tub out to give the big dog a quick bath. Jobe tried to hide in his dog house.

"Come on you mutt. If you want back into the house you need to get clean."

Jobe reluctantly allowed himself to be given a bath. He took revenge by shaking himself off near a less than thrilled Mr. Mason before Scott caught back up to him with a towel.

Ed came out on the back steps with wet hair, "Upstairs shower is free."

Scott slipped into the kitchen and was hit by the aroma of something that smelled really good.

He was shooed away from the stove by Mrs. Mason. "Pan fried chicken and homemade mashed potatoes," she explained.

Scott rushed upstairs and took a quick shower. He got back downstairs in time to hear Ed giving a detailed report on their adventures. A smiling Mrs. Mason handed him a plate covered in hot fried chicken, and thick mashed potatoes. She ladled out a pile of fresh cut green beans.

Mr. Piotrowski started to get up from his seat, but Scott waved him back down. He put his plate on the kitchen counter and dug in while listening to Bo and Ed exchange details about the trip. Mrs. Mendoza pursed her lips when she heard Bo referring to Eddie as 'Ed, ' but she made no comment.